How unfinished? No drywall? A concrete floor?

Studs and drywall will make the most sense...For the entire thing. Leave the floor and lay down inexpensive area rugs...You can even bind large remnant broadloom.

What ages, what activities from finger painting to necking on the couch?: )

Just posted photos to help :) thanks Jan!

look into office accoustical style walls. Free standing and can be moved around as necessary.https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/freestanding-office-partitions-gray-60-14w-x-42h-240226FGY?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22805635337&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsJHprp29jwMV4yZECB3DbA2BEAQYBCABEgJKL_D_BwE

Depending on how old and active they are, they could pull office partitions down. I would build an enclosure (closet) around the appliances/utilities so there's no chance for an accident. Depending again on the children, maybe a locking door. Some kids you would never worry about, others would be trying to get in there first thing, even though there is nothing of interest to them in there. What are their friends like? Just goofing around leads to accidents. If you need storage in the basement, enclose that too. That would keep curious hands out of your stuff and things couldn't be knocked over. If you do an enclosure, make sure you leave enough room for servicing the appliances. Think about how you need to be able to maneuver to change the furnace filter.

Good grief, you're already a lot of drywall.!!

If it's expense? Declare it off limits entirely until you figure out ACCESS to the util area, what you want for function and where.

There's a vast difference between paneled walls a big bar, kitchen and baths......and a reasonable hang space that's safe : )

Depending on age of the kids, leaving gym equipment unsupervised might be a more attractive nuisance than the utilities.

" Depending on how old and active they are, they could pull office partitions down. "

100%, not "could" but will. Lets build a "fort", oh look daddy has walls for the fort right here.......................

IMO, the basement, as is, is not the place for the kids to hang out.

Why can't they be upstairs? No family room?

In my opinion, kids deserve respect and not substandard spaces. That said, in the good old days I was allowed to use my water colors in our basement when my mother was down there ironing. Otherwise, the basement was off-limits as was using water-colors upstairs except on the porches. I suggest that you put up some permanent walls, paint the walls and floor, and find some sturdy furniture for the area. Make it their space to decorate.

Looks like a great kid space. I’d just have a simple studs and drywall built around it as an enclosure. It will make the space so much more usable and would likely not be much more money than buying moveable walls.

BYW - They now make interlocking rubber mat tiles with faux wood grain finish. Kinda like kid play space foam tiles only nicer looking. Great for baseme ts.

@JUDY GRAHAM - we LOVED playing in our basements while growing up (two were finished and two were unfinished). We would use part of the basement for skating + had an area with carpet squares and a table to art projects/getting all of our "Barbie" stuff out in order to make a neighborhood/etc.

We weren't banned from the family room - we chose to use the basement for having fun without having to worry about spilling anything. The basement in our last house (before we were all grown up) was finished but also had a large unfinished space. We used the unfinished space all the time.

We never felt like we were being banned to a lesser space - and we never got into anything that was stored down there that wasn't our shelves with our toys + our table + art supplies.

I have a lot of great memories of playing down there with my three sisters while growing up . . .

IMO, the basement, as is, is not the place for the kids to hang out.

Are you kidding me? It is THE place for kids to hang out. Tons of room to pay and imagine. My best friend had a basement we played in. It was our wonderland. And this one is clean and looks well sealed up too. No cobb webs yet!

I agree Kendrah. My little ones had THE BEST time running their cars on cement floors, not having anything to run into. Think indoor play ground!! We even hung a swing from the studs in one basement area that did not get finished. Nothing "substandard" about a basement!! STOP with imposing adult sensibilities on kids!!

Substandard space? My best play space was one that I created. We lived in the last house (newly built by my dad) on a dirt road. I tromped down tall Johnson grass that grew up along the sides of the road to create 'rooms'. Spent many hours in my 'house' with my dog. That was when we weren't playing in the sandbox underneath the brush arbor that Dad made for us. Apparently some people now believe that kids need a basement Mahal & Starlink so's to not be deprived.

Clean, safe basements are great for kids, depending on their age and need for supervision. Enclosing a utilities area requires careful planning and permits. Check your municipality's requirements. Enclosed utilities areas need safe and unobstructed working space and ventilation, correct clearance and often a special door for access and removal of parts.

JMO " Parents deserve respect, and children earn respect relative to their age and understanding. Children are entitled to parental love, food, shelter, warmth and safety.

I see no reason a third of a home must be turned over to the overly abundant and often boring plastic that claims to amuse kids.......(often not amusing at all) , and resulting in agitated and bored kids incapable of play minus continual supervision and piles of junk..

As to the unfinished? I had clients thirty years ago, ( both doctors )who left the plastic walls w/no drywall! Threw down an old area rug. The rest was concrete. The two and four year old boys painted, rode tricycles, kicked balls, made forts from moving blankets, and danced to some kiddie show with an emphasis on the alphabet.

Those boys are both doctors now, and I am sure they're both well on their way to earning respect in their chosen field: )

Back in the day, in the life of a family a young couple purchase a home. Often it's not the dream they had in their head-but they know one day it will be. Often unfinished spaces are part of that purchase. Babies come along and it's discovered the unfinished space serves the needs of children quite well. As the needs of the family change perhaps a TV room or an office or a guest room is needed and the home is finished to suit. I don't think anyone PLANS for children to be relegated to the basement. They make do, make use of all their space and in the end find there's nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. It's actually the perfect place for a time!

Consider looking at the space as a future area to be fully finished, this being phase one. There's so much potential in the years ahead as the kids get older. I would enclose it with ample room for access to the utilities there.

If the op would post the lower level plan with the POSTS clearly marked and to scale? We'd give him a drywall/door plan: )

I like the idea of temporary movable partitions like Steelcase office furnishings but those will propably cost you as much as building actual walls.

Just use studs and drywall . The posts and the util define the usable space, if ALL that happened was drywall and carpet at some future date.

Post the plan: ) as it exists with the posts.

A bit unorthodox: Easiest, possibly cheapest way to keep kids out of the utility area would be to buy a chain link dog kennel to enclose it. Either new or pick up a used one from Craigslist or Marketplace and take thru a car wash on the way home. Easy to get into the basement thru that walk out door. Self supporting. Fast to assemble/ disassemble. No heavy lifting like drywall is. Easy to resell when you're done with it. Don't have to worry about gas appliances getting enough combustion air. Fits the industrial vibe of metal posts, steel beams & metal duct.

@ci_lantro - your first post made me think about how much time we spent in the wood both in upstate NY and in Michigan while growing up. We made "houses" and "roads" - a lot of fun. Of course, the basement was good when the weather was too cold at times.

Your second post - when I initially read the first part of it, I was picturing adding a chain link dog kennel to enclose an area for the kids to play in - not to enclose the utility area. 😂 Lack of sleep last night!

My comment is just IMO. The slider would be my worry.

So what will the kids be doing down there?

You'll find nothing cheaper that meets this initial purpose than (temporary) studs @24"o.c. and drywall. Doesn't even have to be mudded or painted.